The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt

Wow, what a great book!

Ancient philosophy is a subject I really struggle with, beyond Stoicism, or at least the benefits of Roman Stoicism through a modern lens.

That's probably why I only read this book just now after downloading it some years ago.

But The Swerve shed a new light for me on Epicureanism.  The book tells the story of Poggio Bracciolini, a Florentine, who, following his stint as secretary to the pope, spent years searching through dusty, monastic libraries in the search of lost, ancient texts.

He found several, but most notably, a copy of De Rerum Natura (The Nature of Things) by the Roman philosopher and poet Lucretius.  Lost for hundreds of years, the poem expounds the philosophy of Epicurus in beautiful dactylic hexameters.

Poggio's discovery helped many of the great writers, philosophers and scientists (think Montaigne, Newton, Voltaire, Einstein) advance their own works in the centuries to follow.  Epicurus wrote that everything in this world consists of atoms (stunningly original thinking for the 4th century BC) that occasionally swerve of their own accord, eluding determinism, and potentially rivaling divine providence.

This led me to take a deeper dive into Epicureanism, a fascinating philosophy, exceptional for its establishment in the 4th century BC (and too much for outlining here).

More examples of ancient Greek brilliance.

The Oxford History of Modern China

We've largely decided to push back our plans to visit China due to concerns around the war with Iran, but I'm choosing to look at this as an opportunity to study China on a more deliberate, deeper path.

As promised, this book wove a tapestry both wide and, selectively, deep, into modern China, which it defines as starting during Qing, through to the reign of Xi Jinping (a man whom I need to study deeply).

Although I've read through much of this period before, the review and scholarly perspective of these authors, as is always the case with Oxford Histories, provided an important refresher with added context and perspective.

I wish I could read them all...

Mediterranean Winter by Robert D. Kaplan

I started this book because I needed one more volume for our recent trip to Sicily, one of the island's Kaplan visited as a young man, a trip that served as a cornerstone for this book.

Serendipitously, I ended up reading most of the book while in Sicily, something that added to the experience of both reading the book and visiting the island.

I normally finish my study of the places we visit in advance of the actual trips; rarely do I keep studying the subject while visiting.  That's something I need to change moving forward.

Reading a travelers story of visiting Sicily while actually visiting the island myself was richly rewarding.  And it immediately led me to re-read other relevant extracts, from Lawrence Durrell, Aeschylus, Thucydides and more.

Little Novels of Sicily, by Giovanni Verga

I wind down my literary investigation into Sicilian culture with this gem by Giovanni Verga, translated into English by D.H. Lawrence. 

These stark stories reveal the reality of many, perhaps most, Sicilians over that island’s long, dramatic history. 

They remind me that I will experience a far more opulent version of Sicily than most of its people. 

These stories reveal an enduring truth, that in the face of great beauty, life can be dark and difficult. 

Sicily: A Literary Guide for Travelers

I feel like I've discovered a little bit of treasure with this book and it's broader series.

In preparation for our last few trips I've been reading more and more non-history books about the places we are about to visit, including a dose of fiction.  It's been a new way for me to dive deeper into the cultures we visit.

This book uncovers dozens, if not hundreds, of such books for me to explore around Sicily, going region by region, chapter by chapter.  Some of the references were from books I had previously read (by Durrell, Sameti, Lampedusa), some were by authors I know of but have never read (Goethe, Capote, Camilleri), and many were completely unknow to me.

My only regret is that I didn't discover this book earlier in my preparation for our upcoming trip to Sicily (5 days from now!).  To avoid such a calamity in the future, I've already downloaded the series' book on Greece, even though we don't know when our next trip there will take place.

Treasure, indeed!

The Story of the Stone - Volume 2 - Cao Xueqin

Nothing new to add since finishing volume 1, except that I stumbled across The Companion to the Story of the Stone by Susan Chan Egan and Pai Hsien-yung, which I am diligently following.

This chapter by chapter preview and analysis, as anticipated, is really helping me understand the larger story, as well as identifying details that I would have otherwise missed.  It is proving to be immensely helpful.

I'm feeling confident about working my way through the entire series of novels, and I'm not feeling rushed about it.

The Sicilian Carousel by Lawrence Durrell

This was my favorite book by Durrell that I've read so far, probably because it covers a topic I've been researching quite a lot over the last year.  The Sicilian Carousel refers to a trip he took around Sicily in the 1970s, on an itinerary that greatly mirrors our itinerary for this coming Fall.

More than just a travelogue, the book details the quirks of group travel, highlighting the foibles and eccentricities of Durrell's fellow travelers.  

And poignantly it also includes letters written by his late friend Martine, who lived in Sicily for many years.  She had urged Durrell to visit her there many times, unsuccessfully.  He brings her letters with him, often re-reading them from the same spots from which she had written them many years prior.

There's something about Lawrence Durrell's writing that intrigues me.  And this book was no exception.